Buying a Greenhouse

This is a very simple question, as I've already posted i'm very new to growing plants and for some reason i have sparked a sudden interested in it.

I live in the UK and the UK isn't the best place to grow plants because of the poor weather we have hear. So i'm looking into buying a greenhouse. What price range am i looking at for a greenhouse and is there much difference between the different greenhouses out there.

[Dave]

Well since your doing this as a hobby I would recommend as a minimum of an 8x8 greenhouse. That would be the smallest size, as I have an 8X12 and I find that to be very cramped, especially during the summer time! I paid around $1600 for mine which is a Rion greenhouse, for a comparable glass model the cost would be from $4,000 on up. Yes glass is classic but costs alot.

You'll also have to decide if you want it to be a seasonal greenhouse or year round greenhouse. If you want to grow orchids in your greenhouse year round you will probably need a heating source such as natural gas or an electric ceramic heater.

Plastic or Plexiglass greenhouses will be the cheapest kind and the more expensive ones will be made out of glass. Glass does insulate better, but it is heavy to lift, can crack and break and costs a lot in terms of shipping. Which ever greenhouse you decide on make sure you have several top vents and also several side vents and fans going for better air circulation.
Good luck!

[kilo]

I didn't realise that there was so much in buying a greenhouse. It sounds much more complicated than my old few of a couple of pieces of glass stuck together.

[twirly]

Orchids are "complicated" plants, therefore they need "complicated" conditions ...in fact, the idea is that everything new is complicated at the very beginning..but each step made further makes everything easy..it's the same with growing orchids ...every little thing new you find out helps you into revealing the "complicate"

[Bolero]

I really believe that growing orchids is easy, it's not complex at all.

It's just a matter of providing the correct culture on a regular basis.

One thing I will say about an orchid house, is it makes a difference to the quality of the flower. I used to own a glass house and now own a shade house.......but in the glass house due to the wind protection and added warmth, my flowers were larger, better shaped and more colourful.

A decent level of protection is a must for optimum flowers. I can't recommend a decent orchid house highly enough.

[Dave]

Glass Greenhouses seem like they are the cream of the crop if you can afford glass I would buy glass over polycarbonate. Maybe the day will come when I can afford one!

[Chickadeedee]

My "there is always room for one more orchid" has resulted in more orchids than I have indoor room for. I too have looked into greenhouses, and specifically the Rion models as they are reasonable in cost with all the features. My concern with the Rion is the frame. Can Dave or anyone comment on that resin frame and it's life expectancy? Thanks.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

When you buy a GH, plan on having the eves at top of door level or higher. You really need the head room for hanging plants (Vandas and other warm growers, and especially those with pendulous bloom spikes) and for a bit of heat collection spot in the ridge area as this keeps the rest of the GH cooler, but in your climate, this may not matter. Since most inexpensive GHs chintz on the height, plan on putting the structure up on a few rows of blocks. You can even take the blocks up to bench height and get a really roomy GH. But, at some point, you will need to cement the blocks in place. Many GHs send the post over the door as a long uncut piece, to be cut to size as needed, so you can do this kind of thing. Cynthia, Prescott, AZ